The Heart Holds All Stories
by Snowbro
Summary: Imogen Pickett has always been a mother figure to those around her. When she is selected to be in the 69th Hunger Games she wonders how she is to rid her morals in order to return back to her family in District 8.
1. Thefted

**All rights of the Hunger Games go to Suzanne Collins.**

This is my first time writing a story and I would appreciate any comments (as long as they aren't mean). I hope you enjoy!-G

* * *

Waiting in the Justice Building after having your name drawn for The Hunger Games was the scariest feeling in the world, Imogen Picket had decided. While she had only been in there for nearly a minute, but it felt like hours; long excruciating hours.

The door to her waiting room opened violently and her father and younger brother rushed in. She stood up and wrapped her father in a tight hug clutching on to his shirt. She knew there was a possibility this would be the last time she would see her family.

She was pleased that at least she knew there was a strong possibility this would be the last time; there are times where you don't know when that it is. Like with her mother.

"Immy, oh honey. I am so sorry," he mumbled. She could feel his tears drip onto her face. She wanted to speak, so badly she wanted to reassure the both of them, but it seemed as if she were frozen in time. Her father had never been an emotional person, especially after he mother died. He usually closed himself off, and she was scared to see him so open like this.

She managed to look down at her brother and felt a huge lump in her throat. He was only eleven, and since their mother's passing she had taken on the role of being his mom. And here she was, off to get killed.

Pulling away from her father she walked over to her brother and squeezed him tight. She cringed when he started to sob into her shirt.

"Kacem, don't worry about me, okay?" She answered finding some courage, although her voice was weak and shaking. She was holding back tears. "You don't worry for a minute. Keep up in school, and be good for dad."

"Immy, I don't want you to go." She felt her heart crack and finally let a tear slip out.

"I don't want to go either, buddy. We don't have a choice."

"Darling, you must be strong." Her head shot up to her father, who was now looking much more intense, his usual self. "You must train hard; take any advice they give you."

"I promise, I will papa." He rushed towards me and took me and my brother into a final group hug.

Two Peacekeepers opened the doors and grabbed my brother and father.

"Can we have more time? No, plea- "she was cut off by her brother screaming. He was screaming her name, begging her to stay. That was the last thing she heard before the door closed. The last thing she assumed she would hear from her brother.

When they parted, she was alone; all that accompanied her was her thoughts. She desperately tried to think of good things, but her mind plagued her with what she must face. Remembering the good was no use, especially if it is soon to be torn. Any pleasant thoughts she had were infested by the future.

The door opened once more and she stood up from her chair. Looking at her was her best friend, and her District partner's older brother, who was 19. His once neat blonde hair seemed to have been messed up and his eyes, which were usually a soft brown were extremely red. She could tell he visited his brother already.

"Denneck," she gasped racing towards him. He met her and squeezed his arms around her.

"It's your brother Denneck, it's me and your brother. We can't both win. I'm so sorry." She was crying extremely hard now, her shield falling.

"I know Immy," he answered. His voice was soft and soothing though she could hear the fear. He was going to lose somebody important to him, maybe two people.

"I know you can't promise anything, just… just protect him as long as you can, please, that's all I'm asking," he said. She looked up at him and nodded. He leaned down and kissed her on the cheek and she could feel his tears rolling onto her face.

"Your father passed this to me before they let me in," he said, handing her a bronze locket. Fresh tears formed in her eyes. It was her mother's locket that had recorded herself singing a song. She squeezed it tight.

"My tribute token," she spoke softly. "Please, take care of Kacem. I know it isn't your place, but he needs someone to help him. Dad isn't that person," she said quietly.

"I'll do my best, Im. I promise." The door flew open and a peacekeeper grabbed Denneck.

"I believe in you, just fight. I believe in you!" he hollered before the door was shut. She took in a deep shaky breath. She put the locket over her head and smiled sadly. Everyone she loved had came to see her, even her mother was here.

She was about to open the locket when a peacekeeper opened the door.

"Time for the train," he muttered grabbing her arm and pulling her forward. She reluctantly complied and allowed herself to be drug forward by him.

As she stepped through the doors, her partner for the games was already there. He was young, only thirteen, and she could tell how scared he was. She bit her lip, trying to stop thinking about the similarities between him and Dennick.

"You okay, Rhett?" she asked deciding to sit next to him on the couch. He threw his arms around her and started bawling, much to her surprise. She patted his bleach blonde and let him cry. She wanted to cry for him as well. He was young, and that made his chances of getting out even more scarce.

"This is what I've got?" Both of their heads shot up, their eyes open wide. Standing in front of them was a nearly 70-year-old man with gray hair and an extremely bushy mustache. He was missing his left leg from the knee down. "A couple of sooks? Just great, glad we received Districts 8's finest bunch." She felt Rhett shake under her arm.

"He's scared, can you blame him?" she shot back, squeezing his shoulder.

"No. You both should be. Your tears aren't going to help you, though, time to stop feeling and start thinking." The man walked towards them and Rhett finally detached himself from her side, wiping his eyes frantically.

"My name Woof Nickles. I'm one of your mentors. Cecelia Liste is the other. She's-" he waved towards a door behind in him, "in there. Tell me your names, age, and possible advantages. You first," he finished, pointing towards Rhett.

"Rhett Whiter, I'm thirteen. I don't know about skills, though, I'm small? That can help, right?" Woof rolled his eyes and scoffed at him.

"I'm Imogen Pickett, I'm seventeen. I am an okay cook, good with traps, and okay with a spear. Never on humans before, and only from close up..." she trailed off biting her lip.

Woof nodded his head and looked behind him for a moment. "That's something I guess. Where do you set traps? Not much wildlife around District 8, unless.."

"A few miles back from the Twine's River, there's the fence, I don't think they have electricity on it. Maybe the factories take up too much energy? I don't really know. I think District 7 is on the other side. There's' a few trees, nothing big, some just bushes. But there's always animals there. I slip under the fence, set some traps and spear anything running around. There's a pond there, too. I spear fish," she finished.

"That takes guts kid, but don't tell Ezri none of that, you hear me? She would turn you into the Capital in a heartbeat if it meant she'd get any kind of reward," he told her. She felt her stomach sink and she shook her head.

"I need both you to stand up now," he demanded grabbing their arms and pulling upwards. "And Cecelia, where the hell is she? Cecelia!" he hollered out walking towards the door.

The door opened and a lady she can only assume being Cecelia walked out. She was tall with graying hair but had to be around 30. She was extremely skinny and her pale skin was washed out by her black hair. Her eyes scared Imogen; they were an extremely dark brown and had extremely large bags underneath them.

"You called?" Cecelia drawled out in an un-entertained voice.

"Yeah, you take the girl, just going to test them out a little," he answered. The two tributes shared a curious look.

"Girl, take your hair out of the ponytail. Jacket off, both of you," she commanded and they both followed her instructions. Cecelia took a stance in front of Immy and Woof in front of Rhett.

"She looks cute enough, needs some work mind you- "

"And although he's young, he's cute, could pull heart strings you know-"

"And what about muscle, yeah? Let's see- " Immy let out a squeak as Cecelia started squeezing around her biceps, thighs, and calves. She also fingered her curly, honey blonde hair which reached just past her chest.

"Cute freckles," Cecelia added making Immy blush: her entire face was covered in freckles, making her look younger than 17.

"I'm not squeezing you," Woof said bluntly to Rhett, making him smile slightly. "Okay, both of you. Sit down now.

"We need to have a talk. And you better not cry this time," he said. "You're going to have a long 2 weeks before you're in the arena. You're going to have a prep team, the escort and mentors helping you out. But your personality, your attitude is up to you. Your training is up to you, your score is up to you. Our District's escort is Ezri Lansdowne, as you know, and it is crucial you listen to her. She knows all about the Capitol and what they want.

"We'll get more into training once that comes up, but first we're going to prep you for your arrival. That's going to be the Capitol's first time seeing you in person, you must make a good impression. There's a bathroom down the hall, make yourselves nice. Impress them."

With that, both mentors left the kids in their own compartment. They sat in silence for quite some time before the Rhett broke the silence.

"Do you reckon we're close?"

"I don't know, kid. I really don't know." His cheeks turned red and he looked away. "Do you want to look around the train?" She asked him gently. He stood up and stretched himself out. They went through the first door into the new compartment and their jaws dropped in awe.

It was by far the fanciest room they had ever seen and the most food they had ever seen at once as well. She felt her stomach rumble; she couldn't remember the last time she had had a full meal.

They both marveled around just looking at the items in the room. There were fascinating plants everywhere, something they had never really seen before District 8 was all factories and there was barely any area for wildlife.

Everything was properly placed to make it appealing to the eye. There were cabinets holding plates, bowls, and other things of fine artistry. She reached her hand out to touch the texture.

"Nice, aren't they? Straight from the Capitol of course!" Ezri said as she walked into the room. Her presence was commanding, she looked totally alien to them. Her skin was a lavender color and her black hair was so curly it had to take up at least a foot of space width wise.

"Is this what the Capitol is like then?" Immy directed towards her curiously.

"Oh dear, the Capitol is an entire rose. That there is just one petal. And the food, oh it looks delicious, doesn't it? Bread from 9, fish from 4, meat from 10 and fruits from 11. Both of you will have the time of your lives while you are here."

Immy instantly paled; that statement appalled her. "You do know why we are here, don't you? This isn't a sweet visit. There's a high chance neither of us is going home to our families."

Ezri had an apologetic smile on her face. "I know. But it's all in the spirit of the games; The Hunger Games keeps Panem strong as a nation. You should be proud to die for your country." Immy's jaw dropped at that statement. How could someone even say that statement seriously?

"So none of the past deaths meant anything to you? I would gladly let you take my place, then. Except, the other tributes would probably attack you thinking you're a mut," Immy said with as much strength as she could muster. Ezri's smile was vile.

"That bite to you is going to kill you. You could do to learn some manners if you want any of my help," she said in a thick Capitol accident. "You are nothing but a silly child." She glanced at Immy's hands. "Am I angering you, because I think you might want to hold that knife a little less tight," she stated before walking away.

Immy quickly dropped the object she was holding to see her hand covered in blood. She hadn't noticed she was holding it so firmly. An avox rushed forward to bandage it up.

"I'm sorry you had to see that, Rhett," she muttered apologetically. She rubbed the spot on her hand where the avox placed the bandage. "Come on, let's grab some food," she insisted picking up a plate for him.

"You were right, though," he responded to her. "It wasn't right for her to talk like that." Immy smiled and gave him a wide grin.

"Thanks, kid. We have to be careful, though, once there are cameras on us we won't be able to talk that no more. You've gotta bite your tongue, even if you want to scream. Soon, we gotta show them that it will be an honor to die."

"I'll keep that in mind. And stop calling me kid! I'm not a kid, I'm thirteen." For the first time since she arrived on the train, she felt true fear. She ran a hand through

"We're both still kids, Rhett. All 24 of us."

* * *

"We're nearly here now," Cecelia stated while looking out of the window. "We will discuss tributes, allies, and tactics once you are settled in. When getting off the train, crowds of people will be waiting to see you. You will just walk to a car, and from there we go to the training center. The most important rule is to smile, got it?" She finished with an endearing look.

Although there were many buildings in District 8, none of them compared to what she was seeing of the Capitol. They were extravagant, and she could see beautiful mountains in the background that made the city seem even more beautiful. Immy looked over at Rhett and he seemed just as awed.

As they drew nearer the people awaiting them became clearer. They all looked strange and out of place, but she knew it would be them who would be out of place soon enough. They looked so eager and Immy felt a pang of nerves hit her stomach.

Rhett walked closer to a window and as the train slowed he began to wave at all the faces staring back at him.

"Come on, Imogen, come wave!" Rhett yelled excitedly, and she hesitantly walked towards the window and smiled along with him.

"Get ready to go now, all they want is a good show. Give it to them," Cecelia warned both of them.

They stood up from their spot and stumbled as the train finally came to a stop. They walked towards the door and she put an arm around him.

"Ready?" she asked him.

"I think I have to be," he responded. She laughed and gave his shoulder a squeeze, and just like that the door opened. There were ropes and lines of peacekeepers holding back the civilians who were trying to get the best look at each of the,

Neither of them had ever experienced this much appreciation; they were celebrities and all for being unlucky. Rhett wore a wide, goofy grin while Immy had a bashful smile. She could tell they were loving their brother/sister relationship. Her arm around him was caring, yet protective.

They were ushered into a long car, followed by Woof, Cecelia, and Ezri.

"Not too bad, both of you. We can make this work," Woof told them. There were no replies.

"You don't speak much, do ya? The both of you? Can't be scared to talk, your life is going to depend on talking soon," he finished. He let out a heavy sigh when there were no answers again.

The rest of the ride was quiet, nobody dared to speak. Rhett was the only one who seemed to be alive as he took in every inch of that Capitol, something Immy admired. Her thoughts were too heavy at the moment. She was rather horrified, that wasn't like her at all. The silence scared her.

Her eyes fell on the largest building in the city that they seemed to be approaching. Soon enough, they were parked outside of the building and there were more peacekeepers there to escort them forward.

"First, you're going to meet with your stylist team. Don't question them, and be polite, no matter what they say or do. We won't see you until after the Tribute Parade. This is the first time you're going to be shown off, make them like you. Good luck," Cecelia said, leading them to the elevator. Ezri followed them into it, Immy assuming she was to show them the way.

"What do we do in the parade?" Rhett directed toward Ezri. She positively beamed, feeling extremely useful.

"They're going to dress you up in something representing your district, usually something to do with fabric, and then you go on a chariot. The entire area will be packed with Capitol Elites. You smile, you wave, you win their hearts."

As the elevator came to a stop Immy felt a hand push lightly on her back, getting her to move forward.

"Okay, it's time for me to go. Just walk forward to where it says 'District 8', people will rush you in. Have fun!" Immy was certain that this was going to be far from fun.

Once they reached their area the two doors opened instantly. 4 people walked out of each door and grabbed their respective tribute before closing the door.

Immy found herself in front of four strangers who were a little more strange than the average person she met. The fear on her face was obvious.

"We're your stylist team," the only male in the room said. His fingernails were extremely long and they were flashing different colors around the room. He lacked eyebrows and had very neat black hair combed behind his ear. He had a flower tattoo on the side of his head. Immy looked at a wall to avoid gaping at them.

"I will be your nail stylist- my name is Beauregard," he continued.

"Amalyse," the girl with pink hair said. Her eyelashes were lengthy; she seemed to always be blinking. "I will oversee waxing." Immy was not quite sure what that was.

"My name is Iso, I will be in charge of your hair. Thank goodness that it is so beautiful." She seemed to draw out every 's' much longer than needed making Immy cringe. Iso's hair was down to her bottom and possessed many different colors from top to bottom.

"And I am Eni Arima, I am your fashion designer. I am going to be going now, but you are in good hands. I just needed to see my tribute before I added the finishing touches to your costume," her bright blue eyes were radiant. Immy couldn't take her eyes off of her, no matter how hard she tried. Her stylist finally broke the eye contact and left the room.

"Okay," Amalyse said. "Strip."


	2. The Thorn of Roses

Laying there nude while 3 strangers picked at and ripped apart her body was far from her (and possibly anybody's') ideal situation. She had drawn blood from her tongue multiple times trying not to cry out from what they were doing to her. District 8 didn't have much running water and she was rather filthy, much to their dismay.

"Each year, they get dirtier and dirtier, I am telling you, Beauregard," Amalyse proclaimed.

"Personally, I like the challenge," Iso continued.

After nearly 2 hours, she had been washed down (twice), every section of her body had been waxed and her hair had been washed, trimmed, and blow dried, something she had never experienced. It was extremely convenient. Every inch of her skin felt like it was tingling. Her nails had been trimmed, cleaned, and painted a magnificent purple.

The sat her upright in of a mirror and she finally saw the result.

Her hair had about 5 braids on each side coming up into a bun on the top of her head and beads of different colors were pinned to her bun. Her eyebrows were a few shades darker than usual and they were outlined with gold. Her eyelids were also coated in shimmering blue and gold. Her lips were a bright pink. She reached a finger upwards and glazed it against her face.

"You didn't cover my freckles," Immy said.

"They are adorable! I absolutely love them. They are going to just eat you up," Iso said passionately.

"Can I cover up now?" she asked. She was not used to being naked in front of anyone other than herself.

"Sure thing, sweetie. Eni will be in soon with your jewelry and outfit. We are all done now and we will see you soon. Cheers!" Iso said while leaning in to kiss her on both cheeks.

Once they were all gone she quickly stood up and grabbed a plain, white robe from the corner of the room.

The silence was disturbing. She could hear her own breath in the room as she waited for something to happen. She wondered if that was what her life was going to be like until she died; just waiting for something to happen.

Thoughts of her brother crossed her mind, no matter hard she attempted to push them out. His cries were still ringing in her ear, something that was going to haunt her.

"District 8: Textiles." Immy's head jerked towards the door and she found herself staring at her stylist. Eccentric clothing was not uncommon to her as her district was the one that produced all of the Capitol's clothing.

"Before we get to your outfit, tell me about yourself, Imogen," Eni said, taking a seat across from Immy.

"Immy," she muttered. "You can call me Immy." It was the first time that she had revealed her nickname to the people surrounding her.

"Immy, that has a great ring to it. Tell me about your family."

"There's just my father, my brother and I. My father is a factory worker, he just packages boxes and moves them to a train to bring to the Capital. My brother, he's only 12," Immy trailed off.

"That must be rather hard for you, being away from him," Eni stated. "From age 13 up, everyone in District 8 must put in at least 4 hours at one of the factories. What do you do?"

"I sew the designs together. I'm still at the novice stage, so I don't make clothing yet. Only tablecloths, quilts and stuff like that," Immy said. She was improving greatly, however, and they said that she would get to do clothing once she turned 18. It was petrifying to the that it is no longer _once_ she turns 18, but rather _if_ she makes it to 18.

"Do you have a tribute token with you?" Immy hesitated before pulling the locket over her head. She passed it to Eni. "It was my mother's."

"How lovely. I will be sure to incorporate this into all of your costumes. Is it okay if I hold onto it for now?" she asked.

"No!" Immy hurriedly said. That was the only thing keeping her family whole, something to remind her of them all.

Eni frowned and reached towards her to grab the locket. Immy pulled it back out of reach.

"Immy, I can't make you give it to me. But it is necessary to trust us, or at least me. You will get it back, I promise." Her solemn look pushed Immy over the edge and she shakenly handed over the locket.

"Thank you, Immy. It is time to put you in your outfit on." She pulled the costume out of the bag and Immy smiled. The outfit was very appealing, but nothing too strange.

Eni quickly put the outfit on her. She adjusted it slightly and added a pair of long, black feather earrings.

It was a 2-piece dress, the top having one side with a long sleeve and the other just a strap. It stopped just above her belly button showing her thin stomach. The skirt part was long, reaching just above her ankles. The top was constructed from lace and the skirt was pure silk. It incorporated many different colors, the most prominent being a baby blue and gold.

She had always seen the magnificent designs and results from the departments of the Clothing Building back in District 8, but she had never been allowed to wear any of them. District 8 did have some of the nicest clothes out of all of the districts, but her family had never had a lot of money. Their clothes were second hand and run down. She felt amazing being placed in something so elegant.

"It's beautiful," she whispered making Eni smile.

Eni brought over a pair of sparkling black high heels and held Immy upwards as she stepped into them

"Now, go to the elevator and go to the main floor. The chariot annex is there. Your mentors and escort will be there."

"Thank you, Eni. I really do love it," Immy told her while giving a warm smile.

"I will see you before your interview. I wish you the best of luck, Immy. I want to see you radiate confidence."

Immy did as Eni said and took the elevator the main floor. When she walked out, she saw Rhett standing there next to Woof and Ezri, Cecelia not in sight.

Rhett was wearing a suit with a matching pattern to hers. He had a strange headpiece attached to him making him look very uncomfortable.

"You both ready?" Woof asked them. They gave curt nods and he led the way out to the annex.

Once outside she took in her surroundings. She could hear the crowds of people cheering from up ahead, but she put that out of her mind once she saw the other tributes.

This was her first time seeing any of them and that left a flurry of butterflies in her stomach. She wasn't the only tribute glancing at their opponents as she noticed several other eyes wondering around.

She eyed the tributes from District 1 only briefly; they were larger, they were strong, and they were terrifying. The boy still had a baby face but his muscles were very clearly there. She believed that his arm and her body would be the same width. His eyes were menacing and penetrating, and she knew he was not one she wanted to cross.

The girl was strikingly beautiful, but it was easy to tell she was lusting for the win. She was tall and had a muscular build. She was not nearly as terrifying as her district partner.

"Careers," a voice whispered into Immy's ear. She jumped and her hand went straight to her heart. Cecelia was smiling down at her.

"What did you say?"

"I said Careers. I saw you looking at District 1, and they're Careers, along with District 2 and sometimes 4. They go to special school and train for the Games, to them winning is an honor." Immy could feel the lump in her throat. Not only did they want to win this, they were trained.

"They're very dangerous, they usually stick together. Avoid them at all costs, they're vicious and almost always win. District 4 got it last year, you remember watching that?"

She vividly did, and her thoughts went to Kacem. She had to sleep in his bed for a month straight because of the night terrors he got from watching last year's games. Rhett seemed to remember too because he visibly paled in front of them.

Ezri and Woof approached them and joined Cecelia. They whispered to each other for a moment before turning to look at the tributes.

Immy's eyes widened slightly once she took in Cecelia's appearance. She was dumbfounded that she hadn't noticed earlier. Her eyes looked even more tired than when she first met them and there were bruises along her arms. She had a split lip that looked extremely fresh and tender.

Immy diverted her eyes, not wanting to pry into someone else's life.

A loud horn sounded that made both tributes jump on the spot. She witnessed other tributes beginning to load onto their chariot and decided to follow suit.

"You look so calm," Rhett remarked. He, however, did not. He was pale and when she placed a hand on his shoulder she could feel him shaking.

"In all honesty, I feel like I could piss myself any moment I'm so scared. I'm just used to hiding it." She smiled when he cracked a grin and she placed her arm around his shoulders in a protective manner.

They both gasped as the large, charcoal black horses began to move their chariot forward. This was it.

She could hear somebody announcing 'District 1!' followed by unsettling cheers. Music with loud drums started to play making their entrance even more extravagant.

Immy looked around her, at the buildings surrounding her. It was nighttime, but she couldn't see one star in sight. The artificial lights from all the buildings were obstructing the natural beauty of the world.

But the Capitol's beauty was unarguably outstanding. The architecture was classically appealing; all the buildings managed to mesh together extremely well.

As she heard them cry out 'District 6' it suddenly felt as if someone had shoved fabric down her throat. Her breaths were much more rapid and she was looking away from Rhett, attempting not to alert him.

She heard the echo of cheers approaching closer and closer to them took several deep breaths to calm herself.

"Big smiles, Rhett." And that is just what they did.

"And here comes District 8, Textiles!"

As they became visible, the crowd roared. It was unlike anything she had experienced before, even more bizarre than when she got off the train. She held a wide grin and waved with her free hand at the spectators. She took a quick glance at Rhett and saw him smiling and waving at those around him.

Her eyes wandered through the crowd, never lasting on one person for very long. She witnessed Rhett catch a small teddy bear that had been thrown at him and she let out a cheerful laugh. Never in 1000 years did she expect herself to enjoy this kind of event, to feed off of their positivity towards this dog show.

The chariot came to a halt and stayed alongside the others. She continued to glance around and her eyes widened when she decided to look upwards. President Snow was there, on his ivory balcony, scrutinizing the tributes.

As District 12 appears with the rest of us, President Snow stood, and all the tributes finally got to look at the man who was putting them into the games. Immy shuddered as she looked at him; she could feel bile in her throat. She ground her teeth as she looked at him

He was in an all black suit with a white undershirt. Pinned to his chest was a beautiful, lively white rose. He had appeared on broadcasts before, but he had never looked so menacing. His eyes held such confidence and power, all while looking like a snake's eyes. It would be possible for him to make a grown man tremble.

"Welcome, all, to the 69th Hunger Games!" he announced, allowing the crowd to cheer vigorously. "With great honor, I welcome all of the tributes to the beautiful Capitol."

His gaze suddenly fell on Immy and she clenched her hands, attempting to appear firm.

"And may the odds be ever in your favor."


	3. Training

Immy held her gaze at President Snow, though she was sure it looked far less confident than her original intentions. Her stomach was in knots and her breath was hitched in her throat.

When the chariot started to move, she began to see stars. Her vision was hazy and she was sure she looked rabid.

"Immy?" Rhett questioned. There was no response other than her squeezing his shoulder lightly.

As soon as the chariot pulled up at their mentors, Immy leaped from the carriage and away from her designated area.

She could hear them calling her name behind her but she couldn't look back. She felt horribly sick right now. It was all too real. She was no longer viewing it on screen, but she was experiencing ever aspect of it. She had to stare into his soulless, beady eyes.

She finally stopped running when she was realized how far she had gotten. The wall was there to support her as she lifted her arms over hear head trying to ease her breathing.

"That was quite the dash, 8," a man said approaching her. Her head shot up and she stared at him aimlessly. He was extremely tall, compared to her medium stature. His skin was tan and glistening, and his green eyes matched his bronze hair wonderfully. He was in an all black suit, with the buttons mostly undone to flash his dress shirt.

"I was overwhelmed," she responded, not looking away from him.

"Yeah, I know what that's like." That's when it hit her: the man standing in front of her was Finnick Odair, the winner of the 65th games. He had aged quite a bit since she last remembered seeing him during his games and found herself awestruck by his intense, yet gentle presence.

"What's your name?" he asked as he leaned against the wall next to her.

"Immy," she said, rather uncomfortable by his closeness.

"You probably shouldn't have done that, other tributes are going to peg you for weak."

"My mistake then." More silence.

"I think you should go back now, your mentors are probably looking for you. I know I would be," he said, turning to look at her.

"How come you aren't with your tributes?" she asked

"That would cost you a secret. How about a secret for a secret?"

She was silent. What did he mean a secret? She stared at him, puzzled, trying to decipher what he meant.

Finnick laughed and stretched his body out. "Most tributes are so naïve. I'd wish you luck in the arena, but honey, you want to lose."

* * *

Finnick had been right about two things: her mentors were looking for her, and allowing her anxiety to get the best of her was a fault. Woof nearly attacked her when she drew nearer to him. He said multiple tributes laughed, and she was positive that she had just earned herself an 'easy kill' title.

As soon as they arrived at their floor, she locked herself in her room. The beautiful scenery had no effect on her. Finnick's words were implanted into her head, and for the first t, me she considered dying might be better than winning.

As she lay in her bed, different scenarios and consequences played out in her head. There was one discrete question that she struggled with: was he telling the truth, or trying to better his own tribute's game? He certainly was right about her running stunt, that had been a blunder. But how right was he about everything?

The ongoing fear left Immy with very little sleep that night. Whenever she managed to drift off, nightmares welcomed her. She screamed like a child, but her family wasn't there to help anymore. That night she longed for them like she never had before.

Soon enough, the sun rose and she decided she had to get ready for the day. She had butterflies in her stomach knowing training was starting today.

As she entered the kitchen she noticed she was the last person to wake that morning, and she wondered how much of the discussion she had missed.

"Look who's finally awake," Cecelia said to her with a smile. Immy always appreciated how warming Cecelia's presence was. It was always comforting.

"Did I miss much strategy talk?" she asked cutting right to the chase.

"Barely, we just started. I made a game plan last night though for how I want you both to attack training," Woof answered.

She sat down and grabbed a piece of toast in front of her, not feeling quite that hungry.

"We can start with you Rhett. You have no experience with weapons, so we want you to learn how to use a knife. You can protect yourself easily enough, and you need to be able to do something to impress them during your evaluation. Learn about plants, and how to make a fire," Woof said confidently.

Immy noticed Rhett wasn't eating much either. He had horrible, yellow bags under his eyes and he was even paler than usual.

"Immy, we want you to avoid using the spear. Don't reveal your strength. Instead, practice making one . We want you to learn to climb too, there's always trees somewhere in the arena. You need to learn about different plants too, it can be the difference between life and death."

She was silent for a moment processing the information she was given.

"What about allies?" she asked. Not any of the tributes she had seen so far seemed approachable in any way.

"Trust nobody but each other. You might think someone has your back, but their only goal is to be the last one standing. You put too much trust into someone, and you could be the first one out."

Looking over at Rhett she frowned slightly. She wanted to keep him safe, especially for Dennick, but only having him as a partner could be fatal. He was just child. He wasn't a physical threat nor a mental threat. He was only going to slow down their game and she knew it.

"They dropped off outfits for you two for training, they're on the table over there. You need to be there in 10 minutes, go get changed," Cecelia ordered pointing to the bright red dining table.

She quickly grabbed the outfit and rushed to her room to put it on. It was a bit too loose on her, but she decided that was for the best to allow her to move more freely. It had an 8 embroidered on the top of the left shoulder. It wasn't anything special, just a black t-shirt and black pants.

She stared at herself in the mirror. She looked horrid. It was easy to tell her sleep had been anything less than pleasant; her eyes were puffy and looked like they were drooping. Her usual curly hair was extra frizzy and knotted together. She was going in there as an easy target.

Bunching her hair up, she quickly tied it and met with Cecelia and Rhett. The elevator ride down was quiet and awkward. They were all nervous. Cecelia stopped them from exiting when the elevator came to a holt.

"Don't give them any reason to want you dead, okay?" she whispered to them. They both nodded before walking forward.

They were still five minutes early: only 4 other teams had arrived, none of which were the Careers. District 6, 9, 11 and 12 were the only others there. Immy took this time to observe not only them, but the equipment around her.

11 caught her eyes initially. They were both very tall and looked very mature. Immy guessed them to both be 18. It was easy to se that they had acquired strength from working with agriculture their whole life. Neither of them looked nervous, but rather bored.

6 and 9 didn't seem like threats at all. They were both around 15 or so and seemed very shaky. She didn't think they stood a chance.

12 surprised her, however. Although thin, they looked menacing and she was taken aback by them. Their dark eyes were piercing and made her shiver.

As the time passed, more tributes filed in, none taking too much of her interest. Nearly a minute before training was about to start, the Careers finally arrived and she felt even more intimidated than when she originally saw them at the parade. She clenched her teeth and hands trying to hide her fear.

They walked in as if this was a party. All 6 of them were laughing and talking as if they had known each other forever. Groups always seem scarier than they are, but this group was well trained in combat.

"Alright everybody, come over here," a lady yelled out from the center of the room. She had dark skin and thick black hair. It was easy to tell she was extremely muscular as well.

"My name is Atala, and I'm the Head Trainor. I'm here to show you how to use different weapons, make traps, and how to survive. There are many different stations, and I encourage you to try all of them. I know training with weapons may seem like the most important thing, but most of you will probably die from natural causes. Knowing how to survive will better you chances of winning.

"Okay, so the stations are as followed…" Atala continued as Immy drifted off. She could feel her heart racing and the hairs rose on her neck. She looked around and realized the male from 4 was staring in her direction. He wasn't glaring, only investigating. She met his bright blue eyes and he smiled at her. She bit her lip, confused.

"You can start now! And remember, no physical combat between tributes before the games start," Atala finished. Immy broke her gaze with district 4.

"Where to first, Rhett?" Immy asked her partner, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Plants?" he responded. She smiled and walked over with him.


End file.
